text:
\section{Introduction}

Comptonization -- the process where photon spectrum changes due to
multiple Compton scatterings in the electronic plasma -- is one of
the most important processes in the spectral generation of
X-ray binaries, active galactic nuclei and other X-ray and
gamma-ray sources. The analytical treatment of Comptonization
are essentially based on the solution of Kompaneets equation which
describes the interactions between radiation field and thermal
electrons (Kompaneets 1956). Due to the mathematical complexity,
however, previous analysis of Comptonization depended on simplifications
such as the non-relativistic approximation and therefore the results
were only applicable to a relatively small range of photon and electron
energies (e.g. Sunyaev \& Titarchuk 1980). In recent years,
Titarchuk (1994) developed a modified analytical technique which
took into account the relativistic effect and Klein-Nishina
corrections, thereby extending the previous work to wider ranges of
temperature and optical depth of the plasma clouds from which Comptonized
photons emerge.

The analytical method, however, have several intrinsic limitations.
First, all analytical models are based on
solving certain types of radiation transfer equations (Kompaneets 1956),
which in turn is based on the assumption that energy and position of the
photons are continuous functions of time, i.e. these models assume
diffusion of photons in the energy and position spaces.
While the continuity of energy
change is a good approximation for scatterings at low energy, it is
obviously not valid for Compton scatterings at high photon energies or
by relativistic electrons. Similarly, the continuity of photon position
change is an approximation only valid for clouds of electron plasma
with dimensions large compared to the scattering mean free path (i.e.
diffusion approximation). But astronomical
observations suggest that many of the sources where Comptonization is
believed to take place have optical depths of the order of one
Thomson scattering mean free path.

Second, solutions of the radiative transfer equations are based on the
separation of photon diffusions in energy and position spaces
(Sunyaev \& Titarchuk 1980, Titarchuk 1994 and Hua \& Titarchuk 1995).
The solutions can be presented in terms of simple analytical
expressions only when initial source photons have energies much lower
than the electron energy and follow a particular spatial distribution, namely,
the first eigenfunction of the spatial operator of the diffusion
equation. It was found (Hua \& Titarchuk 1995) that for source photons
at energies not far below the electron energy or for clouds with
large optical depth, the emergent spectra are sensitive to both the
spectral and spatial distributions of source photons and the results
of analytical method must be expanded to the higher order terms.
Consequently, the analytical models are
applicable only to certain ranges of plasma temperature and optical
depth where solutions are insensitive to source conditions.

Third, the analytical methods are inadequate to treat the temporal
behavior of Comptonized emissions. Hua \& Titarchuk (1996) have shown
that for relativistic plasma, photons gain energy significantly with each
scattering and consequently the scattering mean free path changes
significantly with each scattering. Besides, for plasma clouds with
small optical depth, the scattering mean free path are mainly
determined by the boundary condition instead of the scattering cross sections.
As a result, analytical treatment (e.g. Payne 1980), is only
applicable to the limited situation in which electron plasma
has non-relativistic temperatures and optical depths much
greater than Thomson mean free path.

In addition to the above limitations, analytical approach is totally
incapable of dealing with the Comptonization problems involving complicated
geometries and inhomogeneity of electronic media, where scattering mean
free path depends on scattering location and direction as well as photon
energy. But observations seem to indicate that investigations of
Comptonization in the
media with non-uniform temperature and density are necessary.
As was shown by Skibo et al. (1995) and Ling et al. (1997), the
spectral hardening at high energies in the spectra of AGNs and black
hole candidates may be resulting from the temperature gradient in
the plasmas responsible for the emissions. Kazanas et al. (1997) and Hua et
al. (1997) showed that the temporal behavior such as the hard X-ray
phase lags observed from the accreting compact objects may be explained
by the non-uniform electron density of the accreting gas clouds.

These situations are where analytical method fails. As an alternative,
Monte Carlo simulation can be employed to give solutions. It is flexible in
simulating various initial conditions of source photons, complicated
geometries and density profiles of plasma clouds. It is capable of
presenting the full spectra resulting from Comptonization rather than
the asymptotic ones obtainable from analytical methods. The first
attempt to use Monte Carlo method to solve Comptonization
problem was by Pozdnyakov et al. (1983). In recent years, Stern et al.
(1995) presented a large-particle Monte Carlo method for simulating
Comptonization and other high-energy processes. Skibo et al. (1995)
used a Monte Carlo simulation in the calculation of photon spectra of
mildly relativistic thermal plasmas in pair balance.

In this study, we develop an efficient Monte Carlo method which treats
Comptonization problem in a fully relativistic way and can be
implemented in a medium computer such as Sparc workstation or Pentium
PC to yield results with satisfactory statistics in CPU time of the
order of minutes to hours. The algorithms are described in detail to
facilitate computer code implementation.
In \S 2 we introduce an improved technique of simulating
Compton scattering of photons on cold electrons. In \S 3, we describe
the method for Compton scattering on hot electrons. In \S 4, we present
the method dealing with scattering in multi-zone medium. In \S 5,
we describe the simulation of Compton scatterings in media with non-uniform
density profiles.

\section{Compton Scattering on Cold Electrons}

The Monte Carlo method described here was developed over the past
several years in the investigations of Compton scattering of 2.223 MeV
gamma-ray line in solar flares (Hua 1986), Compton backscattering of
511 keV annihilation line in the sources 1E1740.7-2942 (Lingenfelter
\& Hua 1991) and Nova Muscae (Hua \& Lingenfelter 1993).

The differential cross section of Compton scattering is given by
the Klein-Nishina formula
$${d\sigma \over d\varepsilon} = {3\sigma_T \over 4} \cdot
{1 \over \varepsilon} \left[\left(1-{4 \over \varepsilon}-
{8 \over \varepsilon^2}\right)\ln (1+\varepsilon) +{1 \over 2} +
{8 \over \varepsilon} -
{1 \over 2(1+\varepsilon)^2}\right], \eqno(1)$$

\noindent
where $\sigma_T$ is Thomson cross section; $\varepsilon = 2E/m_ec^2$;
$E$ is the energy of incident photon; $m_e$ is the electron rest
mass and $c$ the speed of light. The energy of the scattered photon,
$E'$, relative to the initial photon energy $E$ is given by the ratio
$$r = \displaystyle{E \over E'} = 1+\displaystyle{\varepsilon \over 2}
(1 - \cos\psi), \eqno(2)$$

\noindent
where $\psi$ is the angle between incident and scattered photons.
The energy distribution of the Compton-scattered photons is determined
by the distribution with respect to $r$, which is
$$f(r) = \cases {\displaystyle{{1}\over {K(\varepsilon)}}\left[\left(
\displaystyle{{\varepsilon +2 -2r}\over {\varepsilon r}}\right)^2+
\displaystyle{{1}\over {r}} - \displaystyle{{1}\over {r^2}}+
\displaystyle{{1}\over {r^3}} \right]
&{\rm for $1\leq r \leq \varepsilon+1$},
\cr 0  &{\rm otherwise},} \eqno(3)$$
\noindent
where
$$K(\varepsilon) = \frac{4\varepsilon}{3\sigma_T} \sigma(\varepsilon)
\eqno(4)$$

\noindent
is the normalization factor.

Sampling the distribution given by Eq. (3) plays a central role
in the Monte Carlo simulation of Compton scattering of photons by cold
electrons. Furthermore, as will be seen below, Compton scatterings on
hot electrons in our scheme will also be reduced to the simulation of
Eq. (3). Therefore, the performance of the computer program for Monte
Carlo simulation of Compton scatterings depends critically on the
quality of the technique used for sampling this distribution because
a run of the program typically involves millions of scatterings.
Efforts were made to optimize the technique of sampling this
distribution (e.g. Kahn, 1954). In our implementation, we adopted a
variation of Kahn's technique first suggested by Pei (1979). The
algorithm of the technique is
\begin{tabbing}
1. \= Generate 3 random numbers $\xi_1, \xi_2$ and $\xi_3$ uniformly
distributed on (0,1). \\
2. \= If \= $\xi_1 \leq 27/(2\varepsilon + 29)$, \\
   \>    \> let $r = (\varepsilon +1)/(\varepsilon \xi_2 +1)$. \\
   \>    \> If $\xi_3 >
            \{[(\varepsilon +2 -2r)/\varepsilon]^2 + 1\}/2$, go to 1. \\
   \>    \> Else accept $r$. \\
   \> Else \\
   \>    \> let $r = \varepsilon \xi_2 +1$. \\
   \>    \> If $\xi_3 > 6.75 (r -1)^2/r^3$, go to 1. \\
   \>    \> Else accept $r$.
\end{tabbing}
It is seen that this is essentially a combination of composition and
rejection methods (see e.g. Ripley, 1987).
This algorithm, like Kahn's, avoids the operations such as
square root, logarithm or trigonometric functions, which involve
time-consuming series expansion for computers.
Its quality can also be measured to a large extent
by the rejection rates, which are 0.38, 0.30, 0.23 and 0.33 for
$\varepsilon = 0.2, 2, 10$ and 20 respectively,
as compared to 0.41, 0.37, 0.41 and 0.53 for Kahn's technique. The
improvement is significant, especially for higher photon energies.

\section {Comptonization in Hot Isothermal Homogeneous Plasmas}

The Monte Carlo technique for photon Comptonization in a relativistic
plasma was outlined by Pozdnyakov et al. (1983) and Gorecki \&
Wilczewski (1984). Our implementation of the simulation is somewhat
different from these authors. It was developed on the bases of
the technique for Compton scattering on cold electrons described in
the last section.

Suppose a photon is scattered off an electron which is moving
in $z$-axis direction with a velocity $v$. The energies of the
incident and the scattered photon are $E$ and $E'$ respectively.
The zenith angles of the incident and scattered photons measured
from $z$-axis are $\theta~ {\rm and}~ \theta'$ respectively. $\phi$ and
$\phi'$ are the azimuthal angles. The differential
cross section for Compton scattering is given by (see e.g. Akhiezer \&
Berestetskii 1969)
$${d\sigma \over d\mu'd\phi'} = {3\sigma_T \over 16\pi} {1 \over
\gamma^2}
{\chi\over (1-v\mu)^2} \left({E' \over E}\right)^2,
\eqno(5) $$

\noindent
where $\mu=\cos\theta$ and $\mu'=\cos\theta'$;
$v$ is in units of the speed of light and $\gamma = (1-v^2)^{-1/2}$;
$$\chi={\varepsilon \over \varepsilon'}+
{\varepsilon' \over \varepsilon}+{4 \over \varepsilon}\left(1-
{\varepsilon \over \varepsilon'}\right)+
{4 \over \varepsilon^2}\left(1-{\varepsilon \over
\varepsilon'}\right)^2; \eqno(6)$$
$$\varepsilon={2E \over m_e c^2}\gamma(1-v\mu), \qquad
\varepsilon'={2E' \over m_e c^2}\gamma(1-v \mu'); \eqno(7)$$
$${E' \over E} = {{1-v\mu} \over {1-v\mu'+
(E/\gamma m_ec^2)(1-\cos\psi)}}; \eqno(8)$$

\noindent
and $\psi$ is the angle between incident and scattered photons
$\cos\psi = \mu\mu'+\sqrt{(1-\mu^2)(1-\mu'^2)}\cos(\phi -\phi')$.

Integration over $\mu'$ and $\phi'$ leads to
$$\sigma(\varepsilon)= {3\sigma_T \over 4} \cdot {1 \over \varepsilon}
\left[\left(1-{4 \over \varepsilon}-
{8 \over \varepsilon^2}\right)\ln (1+\varepsilon) +{1 \over 2} +
{8 \over \varepsilon} -
{1 \over 2(1+\varepsilon)^2}\right]. \eqno(9)$$

\noindent
It is seen that Eq. (9) is identical in form with Eq. (1).
But the quantity $\varepsilon$ here is given by the relativistic
expression in Eq. (7). In other words, it is dependent on the
electron's energy and direction as well as  photon's energy.

A photon with energy $E$  traveling in a plasma with an isotropic
distribution of electrons having an energy distribution $N_e(\gamma)$
will have an averaged cross section of Compton scattering (see e.g. Landau \&
Lifshits, 1976):
$$\sigma_a(T_e,E)={1 \over 2}\int_1^{\infty}d\gamma\int_{-1}^1d\mu
(1-v \mu)\sigma(\varepsilon) N_e(\gamma). \eqno(10)$$

\noindent
For a plasma in thermal equilibrium, $N_e(\gamma)$ is the
Maxwell distribution given by
$$N_e(\gamma) = {1 \over 2 \Theta K_2(1/\Theta)} v
\gamma^2 e^{-\gamma/\Theta}, \eqno(11)$$

\noindent
where $\Theta = kT_e/m_ec^2$ is the dimensionless temperature of the
plasma; $k$ is the Boltzmann constant and $K_2$ is the modified Bessel
function of 2nd order. The $\sigma_a(T_e,E)$ values in the form of
a data matrix, obtained by the 2-dimensional integration in Eq. (10)
for a properly spaced array of $T_e$ and $E$, can be read by or
incorporated into the computer codes.  Values of $\sigma_a(T_e,E)$ for
several temperatures are numerically calculated and plotted in Figure 1.
The dashed curve in the figure is the cross section at $T_e=0$, given
by the Klein-Nishina formula in Eq. (1). It can be seen that
for energetic photons scattering off the high temperature electrons,
the cross section can be smaller by a factor of 2 or more than off
the cold electrons. In other words, hot plasmas are more transparent
than cold ones for photons. This has important effect on the
energy spectra emerging from such plasmas, which Titarchuk (1994) took
into account in his modification of the previous analytical results.
Its effect on the temporal behavior of X-ray and gamma-ray emission from
these plasma is even more significant and was discussed in Hua \& Titarchuk
(1996).

\begin{figure}[ht]
\plotone{mcmfg1.eps}
\caption{
Maxwellian averaged Compton scattering cross section for
various plasma temperatures, obtained from numerical integration in
Equation (10). Also plotted is the maximum effective
cross section as a function of photon energy $H_3(E)$.}
\end{figure}

With $\sigma_a(T_e,E)$ obtained by numerical integration in Eq. (10),
we can use the Monte Carlo method to select the free
path between two successive scatterings for a photon with energy $E$.
$$ \int_0^{\ell} n_e\sigma_a ds = -\ln \xi, \eqno(12)$$

\noindent
where $\ell$ is the free path to be sampled; $n_e$ is the electron
density and $\xi$ is a uniform random number on (0,1). The integration
is taken along photon's path length $s$. In this section
we are only concerned with the isothermal plasmas at temperature $T_e$
and with uniform density $n_e$ and leave the discussion about
inhomogeneous media to the next two sections. Under this assumption,
$\ell$ can be sampled simply by
$$\ell = -\displaystyle{{\ln \xi}\over{n_e\sigma_a(T_e,E)}}. \eqno(13)$$

At the location of scattering, an electron is selected to scatter the
photon. Its energy factor $\gamma$ and direction $\mu =\cos \theta$
with respect to the photon direction are selected according to the
distribution
$$f_e(\gamma,\mu)\propto (1-\mu \sqrt{1-\gamma^{-2}})
\sigma(\varepsilon)N_e(\gamma), \eqno(14)$$
\noindent
while its azimuthal angle $\phi$ around the photon direction is selected
uniformly on ($0, 2\pi$). The distribution in Eq. (14) is rather
complicated because $\varepsilon$ depends on $\gamma$ and $\mu$ as given
in Eq. (7). On the other hand, for a thermal plasma,
$N_e(\gamma)$ is given by
Eq. (11) and independent of $\mu$. In our implementation of the
distribution Eq. (14), we use the following algorithm.
\begin{tabbing}
1. \= Generate 2 random numbers $\xi_1$ and $\xi_2$ uniformly
distributed on (0,1). \\
2. \= If \= $\Theta \leq 0.01$, \\
   \> \> If \= $\xi_2^2  > -e \xi_1 \ln{\xi_1} $, go to 1. \\
   \> \> Else let
         $v = \sqrt{-3 \Theta \ln \xi_1}$, $\gamma = 1/\sqrt{1-v^2}$. \\
   \> Else  if $\Theta \leq 0.25$, \\
   \>    \> let $\gamma = 1-1.5\Theta \ln{\xi_1}$. \\
   \>    \> If $\xi_2 H_1 >
            \gamma \sqrt{\xi_1(\gamma^2 -1)}$, go to 1. \\
   \> Else \\
   \>    \> let $\gamma = 1-3\Theta \ln{\xi_1}$. \\
   \>    \> If $\xi_2 H_2 >
            \gamma \xi_1^2 \sqrt{\gamma^2 -1}$, go to 1. \\
3. \> Generate $\mu$ uniform on (-1,1) and $\xi_3$ uniform on (0,1). \\
4. \> Calculate $\varepsilon$ and then $\sigma(\varepsilon)$ from
$\gamma$ and $\mu$ according to Eqs. (7) and (9). \\
5. \> If $\xi_3 H_3 > (1-\mu \sqrt{1-\gamma^{-2}}) \sigma(\varepsilon)$,
   go to 1.\\
   \> Else accept $\gamma$ and $\mu$.
\end{tabbing}
\noindent
Here
$$H_1 = a \sqrt{a^2-1}~ \exp\left({-\displaystyle{{a-1}\over {3\Theta}}}
\right),$$
$$a = 2\Theta + 2b \cos\left[\displaystyle{1\over 3} \cos^{-1}
      \left(\Theta \displaystyle{{16\Theta^2 -1} \over {2 b^3}}
      \right)\right] ~~{\rm and}~~  b = \sqrt{1/3 +4 \Theta^2}; \eqno(15)$$
$$H_2 = a \sqrt{a^2-1}~ \exp\left[{-\displaystyle{{2(a-1)}\over {3\Theta}}}
\right],$$
$$a = \Theta + 2b \cos\left[\displaystyle{1\over 3} \cos^{-1}
      \left(\Theta \displaystyle{{4\Theta^2 -1} \over {4 b^3}}
      \right)\right]~~ {\rm and}~~ b = \sqrt{1/3 + \Theta^2}; \eqno(16)$$

\noindent
and $H_3$ is the maximum of the so called ``effective cross section"
$\sigma_{\rm eff}=(1- \mu \sqrt{1-\gamma^{-2}}) \sigma(\varepsilon)$.

Several points should be made in the above algorithm.
Steps 1 and 2 sample $\gamma$ using rejection
method in terms of the Maxwellian distribution $N_e(\gamma)$, which is
independent of the photon energy and direction. For low plasma
temperature ($\Theta \leq 0.01$) electron velocity $v$ are sampled
according to the non-relativistic Maxwellian distribution. For high
temperatures, the separated sampling ($\Theta \leq 0.25$ and $> 0.25$) is
in order to reduce the rejection rates. It should be emphasized that although
the expressions of $H_1$ and $H_2$ are complicated, these quantities
depend on $\Theta$ alone and therefore need to be calculated once only.
They can be calculated outside the scattering loop as long as plasma
temperature remains unchanged. The $\gamma$ values so sampled, together
with the isotropically sampled $\mu$, represent electrons in the hot
plasma at the given temperature. They are subject to another rejection
test in the subsequent steps in order to yield the right joint
distribution given in Eq. (14), which represents the electrons that
actually scatter the photon.

temperature remains unchanged. The $\gamma$ values so obtained are
subject to another rejection test in the subsequent steps together with
the isotropically sampled $\mu$ in order to yield the right joint
distribution given in Eq. (14).

The quantity $H_3$ is not expressible analytically. It depends on
incident photon energy $E$ only and can be determined by maximizing
the effective cross section with respect to $\gamma$ and $\mu$ for
any given $E$ using numerical methods such as given in Press et al.
(1992). In the following, we describe an alternative to the above
2-dimensional maximization methods. We examine the derivative of
$\sigma_{\rm eff}(\gamma,\mu)$ with respect to $\mu$
$$ {\partial\sigma_{\rm eff}\over \partial\mu} = -~{2E \over m_ec^2}
\sqrt{1-\gamma^{-2}}~{dh \over d\varepsilon}, \eqno(17)$$
\noindent
where
$$h(\varepsilon) = \left(1-{4 \over \varepsilon}-
{8 \over \varepsilon^2}\right)\ln (1+\varepsilon) +{1 \over 2} +
{8 \over \varepsilon} - {1 \over 2(1+\varepsilon)^2} \eqno(18)$$
\noindent
is the expression in the square parentheses in Eq. (9). It can be
easily verified that
$$ {\partial\sigma_{\rm eff}\over \partial\mu} \leq 0
\qquad {\rm for}~~E > 0~~{\rm and}~~\gamma \geq 1 \eqno(19)$$
\noindent
Therefore, $\sigma_{\rm eff}(\gamma,\mu)$ is a monotonously decreasing
function of $\mu$, that is, for given $\gamma$, $\sigma_{\rm eff}
(\gamma,\mu)$ reaches its maximum at $\mu = -1$. Physically, this means
that head-on collision between the photon and electron always
has the maximum probability. Thus, in order to determine the maximum of
$\sigma_{\rm eff}$ as a function of $\gamma$ and $\mu$, one only
needs to maximize the one dimensional function $\sigma_{\rm eff}
(\gamma,-1)$. The maximum of $\sigma_{\rm eff}$, or $H_3$, as a
function of $E$ determined in this way is plotted in Figure 1 as
the dash-dotted curve. It is seen that for high photon energies,
the maximum effective cross section approaches the Klein-Nishina cross
section while at low energies it approaches twice the Thomson cross
section. The $H_3$ values for an array of properly spaced $E$ values
can be tabulated and incorporated into the computer codes.

With the selected electron energy and direction represented by $\gamma$,
$\mu$ and $\phi$ uniform on $(0,2\pi)$, we proceed to determine the
energy and direction of the scattered photon. In order to do so, we
simulate Compton scattering in the frame where the electron before
scattering is at rest rather than sampling the multivariate distribution
of $E'$, $\mu'$ and $\phi'$ from Eq. (5).
The Lorentz transformation of the photon momentum between this
reference frame and the lab frame is given by
$${\bf p'}={\bf p}-p[\gamma v-(\gamma-1){\bf \hat p}
\cdot {\bf \hat v}] {\bf \hat v}, \eqno(20)$$
\noindent
where ${\bf p}$ and ${\bf p'}$ are photon momentum vectors before and after
the transformation; ${\bf \hat p}$ and ${\bf \hat v}$ are unit vectors of
the photon momentum and electron velocity respectively.

In the electron rest frame, we utilize the Monte Carlo method
described in \S 2. The resulting momentum of the scattered photon
is then transformed back to the lab frame using the same Eq. (20)
with a reversed ${\bf \hat v}$. The energy
and direction of the scattered photon obtained in this way automatically
satisfy the energy conservation relationship given in Eq. (8).

As a crucial test we ran the program in which low frequency
photons were allowed to scatter in an infinite plasma at a given
temperature for a sufficiently long time. It was expected that the
photon energy should approach the Wien distribution at the given plasma
temperatures. One example of such evolution, the photon energy
distribution recorded at varies times in a plasma of $kT_e = 200$ keV are
shown in Figure 2. It does approach the Wien form.

\begin{figure}[ht]
\plotone{mcmfg2.eps}
\caption{
The evolution of photon energy spectrum from a blackbody
at $0.511 \times 10^{-2}$ eV towards equilibrium with a plasma at
$kT_e = 200$ keV. The seven spectra (solid curves) are ``snapshots''
at times $t = 1, 3, 6, 10, 18, 30, 70$ Thomson mean free time. Also
plotted (dashed curve) is the Wien spectrum at temperature 200 keV.}
\end{figure}

\section{Comptonization in Multi-Zone Media}

If Comptonization takes place in a medium which is divided into several
zones each with different electron temperatures and density distributions,
one has to take into consideration the boundaries between these zones
in addition to the scattering free paths and the boundary of the entire
medium.

In general, suppose a photon, after initiation or scatterings, is located
in the medium at $(x_0,y_0,z_0)$ with a direction $(\omega_1, \omega_2,
\omega_3)$. The next position where the photon will scatter, if there
were no boundaries, is given by
$$\cases {x_1=x_0+\ell \omega_1 \cr
          y_1=y_0+\ell \omega_2 \cr
          z_1=z_0+\ell \omega_3, } \eqno(21) $$

\noindent
where $\ell$ is sampled according to Eq. (13), in which $n_e$
and $T_e$ should be understood as the electron density and temperature
in the present zone. With the existence of boundaries,
$(x_1,y_1,z_1)$ could be in the neighboring zone or outside
of the medium. In this case, one has to calculate the distances
$s_i$ from  $(x_0,y_0,z_0)$ to various boundaries
$B_i, (i=1,...,N)$, where $N$ is the number of boundaries surrounding
the zone under consideration. $s_i$ can be obtained by solving the
equations describing the $i$th boundary
$$B_i(x,y,z)=0, \qquad i=1,...,N \eqno(22)$$

\noindent
where
$$\cases {x=x_0+s_i \omega_1 \cr
          y=y_0+s_i \omega_2 \cr
          z=z_0+s_i \omega_3. } \eqno(23) $$

If $\ell$ is smaller than any of $s_1,...s_N$ so obtained, the photon
will remain in the same zone and scatter at the location $(x_1,y_1,z_1)$
on electrons at local temperature $T_e$.
But if $s_j$ is the minimum among $\ell$ and $s_1,...s_N$, the photon
will hit the boundary $B_j$. In this case one has to replace the photon
on the boundary at $(x,y,z)$ determined by Eq. (23) with $i=j$.
With the new position on the boundary as $(x_0,y_0,z_0)$, one can begin
another round of free path sampling with $n_e$ and $T_e$ of the zone
the photon is entering but keeping the photon energy and direction
unchanged.

In the study of Gamma-ray spectra of Cygnus X-1 (Ling et al. 1997),
we developed a model where photons scatter in a two-layered spherical
plasma consisting of a high-temperature core and a cooler
corona. The model was first proposed by Skibo and Dermer (1995) to
interpret the X-ray spectral hardening at high energies observed in AGNs.
The boundary of the inner core is a sphere of radius $R_i$
while the boundaries of the outer shell are two spheres with radii
$R_i$ and $R_o$ respectively. For a photon in the core, the equation for
the distance $s_1$ to its boundary is
$$s_1^2 + 2({\bf r_0} \cdot \hat{\bf \omega})s_1 - (R_i^2 - r_0^2) = 0,
\eqno (24) $$

\noindent
where ${\bf r_0} = (x_0,y_0,z_0)$ is the position vector of the photon;
$\hat{\bf \omega} = (\omega_1, \omega_2, \omega_3)$.
Similarly, the equations for a photon in the
outer shell are
$$\cases {s_1^2 + 2({\bf r_0} \cdot \hat{\bf \omega})s_1 -
          (R_i^2 - r_0^2) = 0 \cr
s_2^2 + 2({\bf r_0} \cdot \hat{\bf \omega})s_2 - (R_o^2 - r_0^2) = 0 }.
\eqno (25) $$
\noindent
Thus we have the following algorithm:
\begin{tabbing}
\= If \= $r_0 < R_i$, \\
\> \> Let $\delta = ({\bf r_0} \cdot \hat{\bf \omega})^2 + (R_i^2-r_0^2)$
and $s_1 = \sqrt{\delta} - ({\bf r_0} \cdot \hat{\bf \omega}).$ \\
\> \> If $\ell<s_1$, scatter at ${\bf r_1}={\bf r_0}+\ell\hat{\bf \omega}$. \\
\> \> Else reach boundary at ${\bf r_1}={\bf r_0}+s_1\hat{\bf \omega}$. \\
\> Else if $r_0 < R_o$, \\
\>    \> Let $\delta = ({\bf r_0} \cdot \hat{\bf \omega})^2 +
(R_i^2-r_0^2)$. \\
\>\> If \= $\delta \geq 0$ and $ ({\bf r_0} \cdot \hat{\bf \omega}) < 0$, \\
\>\>\> Let $s_1 =-\sqrt{\delta}-({\bf r_0}\cdot \hat{\bf \omega})$. \\
\>\>\> If $\ell<s_1$, scatter  at ${\bf r_1}={\bf r_0}+
\ell\hat{\bf \omega}$. \\
\>\>\> Else reach boundary at ${\bf r_1}={\bf r_0}+s_1\hat{\bf \omega}$. \\
\>\> Else \\
\>\>\> Let $\delta = ({\bf r_0} \cdot \hat{\bf \omega})^2 + (R_o^2-r_0^2)$
and $s_2 = \sqrt{\delta} - ({\bf r_0} \cdot \hat{\bf \omega}).$ \\
\>\>\> If $\ell<s_2$, scatter  at ${\bf r_1}={\bf r_0}+
\ell\hat{\bf \omega}$. \\
\>\>\> Else escape.
\end{tabbing}

\noindent
Whenever the photon crosses the inner boundary, the plasma density and
temperature should be switched while the photon energy and direction kept
unchanged.

In figure 3, we present the result of such a calculation
(solid curve) together with the observational data (Ling et al. 1997)
it was intended to fit. The data was from the blackhole candidate
Cygnus X-1 observed by the detector BATSE on board satellite
Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory.
The fitting spectrum was obtained from a calculation with the two-layer
model described above, where temperature is $kT_e = 230$ keV for
the inner core and 50 keV for the outer shell. The
two zones are assumed to have the same electron
density and the inner core has a radius 0.36 in units of Thomson mean
free path, while the outer-shell radius is 1.3. The initial photons
have a blackbody temperature of 0.5 keV and injected into the medium
from outside. For comparison the best fit one can achieve by a
single-zone plasma model is also presented (dashed curve). The
model consists of a plasma sphere of radius 1.35 at $kT_e = 85$ keV.
The reduced $\chi^2$ value is 2.6 for the single-temperature model as
compared to 1.0 for the double-layer model. It is seen that by
adding a hot central core to the Comptonization medium, the fit to
the high-energy part of the observed spectrum is significantly improved.

\begin{figure}[ht]
\plotone{mcmfg3.eps}
\caption{
The energy spectra resulting from the double-layer
Comptonization media (solid curve) and singe-temperature sphere (dashed
curve. Both spectra are intended to fit the observational data from
the blackhole candidate Cygnus X-1 (Ling el al, 1997). }
\end{figure}

\section{Comptonization in Isothermal Media with Non-Uniform Density}

The media we considered so far are uniform, at least regionally, in density.
It was found necessary to investigate the Comptonization in the media with
non-uniform density profiles (Kazanas et al, 1997). In this section, we
present the treatment of two spherically symmetrical configuration
commonly found in astrophysical environment, one with electron density
varying as $\rho^{-1}$ and the other as $\rho^{-3/2}$, where
$\rho$ is the distance from the sphere center. The latter case represents
the density profile of a gas free-falling onto a central accreting
object under gravitational force (e.g. Narayan \& Yi 1994),
while the former represents that of
an accreting gas with viscosity due to the interaction between the
gas and the outgoing photons (Kazanas et al, 1997).

With density $n_e$ varying along the photon's path length $s$,
the integration in Eq. (12) should be written as
$$ I = \int_0^{\ell} n_e(s) \sigma_a ds, \eqno(26)$$

\noindent
where the dependence of $n_e$ on $s$ is given by
$$n_e(s) = \cases{\displaystyle{{n_0 \rho_0} \over
\sqrt{r_0^2+s^2+2sr_0\nu}} & {\rm for $\rho^{-1}~~$ profile},\cr
\displaystyle{{n_0 \rho_0^{3/2}} \over
{(r_0^2+s^2+2sr_0\nu)^{3/4}}} \quad
& {\rm for $\rho^{-3/2}~~$ profile}, } \eqno(27)$$

\noindent
where $\rho_0$ is the radius of the sphere within which the density
profiles break down; $n_0$ is the electron density at this radius;
$\nu=({\bf r_0} \cdot \hat{\bf \omega})/r_0$; ${\bf r_0}$ is the
photon's position vector originated from the sphere center and
$\hat{\bf \omega}$ its travel direction.

Substitute $n_e(s)$ in Eq. (27) into Eq. (26) and we obtain the
integration for $\rho^{-1}$ profile
$$ I = n_0 \rho_0 \sigma_a \ln \left[\frac{\ell -r_0 \nu +
       \sqrt{\ell^2 + r_0^2 + 2\ell r_0 \nu}}{r_0 (1-\nu)}\right]. \eqno(28)$$

\noindent
Eq. (12) then becomes $I = -\ln \xi$. Solving this
equation for $\ell$, we obtain
$$ \ell = r_0 \displaystyle {{(1+\nu)\eta^2 + 2\nu \eta - (1-\nu)}
          \over {2 \eta}}, \eqno(29)$$

\noindent
where $\eta = \exp(- \ln \xi/n_0 \rho_0 \sigma_a)$. Once a uniform random
$\xi$ is selected on $(0,1)$, $\ell$ is determined by Eq. (29).

For $\rho^{-3/2}$ density profile, the counterpart of Eq. (28) is
$$ I = n_0 \rho_0 \sigma_a \sqrt{\displaystyle {{2 \rho_0} \over {r_0
\sin \vartheta}}}~ [F(\varphi_{\ell}, \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}) -
F(\varphi_0, \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}})], \eqno(30)$$

\noindent
where $F(\varphi, k)$ is the Legendre elliptic
integral of the 1st kind; $\sin \vartheta = \sqrt{1 - \nu^2}$;
$\varphi_0$ and $\varphi_{\ell}$ are given by
$$\cases {\cos \varphi_0 = (1+ u_0^2)^{-1/4} \cr
          \cos \varphi_{\ell} = (1+ u_{\ell}^2)^{-1/4},} \eqno(31)$$

\noindent
and
$$\cases {u_0 = \displaystyle{{\cos \vartheta }\over {\sin \vartheta}} \cr
          u_{\ell} = \displaystyle{{\ell + r_0 \cos \vartheta}\over
                     {r_0 \sin \vartheta}}.}  \eqno(32)$$

\noindent
Substituting the integration into Eq. (12), we obtain
$$ F(\varphi_{\ell}, \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}) = F(\varphi_0, \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}})
   - \frac{\ln \xi}{n_0 \rho_0 \sigma_a}
   \sqrt{\frac{r_0 \sin \vartheta}{2 \rho_0}}, \eqno(33)$$

\noindent
where the right-hand side is a function of known variables. Call it
$f(\xi, r_0, \vartheta)$. Solve Eq. (33) and we obtain
$$\cos \varphi_{\ell} = {\rm cn}(f,\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}), \eqno(34)$$

\noindent
where ${\rm cn}(f,k)$ is the Jacobian elliptic function, which is the inverse
of the elliptic integral $F(\varphi_{\ell}, k)$.
Computer routines for both elliptic integral and Jacobian elliptic
function are available in many mathematical libraries
(e.g. Press et al, 1992). Finally, $\ell$ can be obtained from
Eqs. (31) and (32)
$$\ell =r_0 \sin \vartheta \sqrt{{\rm cn}^{-4}(f,\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}) -1}
        - r_0 \cos \vartheta. \eqno(35) $$
\noindent
Once $\ell$ is available, one can use the algorithms described in the
previous section to determine if the photon scatters, escapes or hits the
boundary.

We used $\ell$ given in Eqs. (29) and (35)
to study the Comptonization in a two-layer spherical model similar
to that in the last section but with the outer layer
having a $\rho^{-1}$ or $\rho^{-3/2}$ density profile. Specifically,
we assume the density in the outer shell is given by Eq. (27) with
$\rho_0 = R_i$ and the density of the inner core is constant $n_+$.
It is found that the energy spectrum
of the X-rays emerging from such system is different from
a uniform sphere with the same optical depth (Kazanas et al, 1997).
More importantly, with the decreasing density profiles, the outer
layer, or the ``atmosphere" can extend to a distance much greater than
the size a uniform system with the same optical depth can do, giving
rise to the time variation properties on a much greater time scale.

As an example, we show in Figure 4 two light curves, or the
time-dependent fluxes, for X-ray photons escaping from two such
core-atmosphere systems, one with $\rho^{-1}$ and the other with
$\rho^{-3/2}$ density profile for the atmospheres.
For both density profiles, the temperature is 50 keV in the
atmosphere as well as in the core; the total optical depth is 2 in
terms of Thomson scattering and the radius of
the inner cores is assumed to be $2 \times 10^{-4}$ light seconds.
The core density $n_+$ is slightly different from each other:
$1.6 \times 10^{17}$ and $1.68 \times 10^{17} {\rm cm}^{-3}$ for $\rho^{-1}$
and $\rho^{-3/2}$ profiles respectively. For the outer atmospheres,
$n_0$ in Eq. (27) are $0.4 \times 10^{17} {\rm cm}^{-3}$
and $1.68 \times 10^{17} {\rm cm}^{-3}$ respectively.
As a result the radii of the systems are 1.01 and 2.63 light
seconds respectively.

\begin{figure}[ht]
\plotone{mcmfg4.eps}
\caption{
The light curves resulting from the core-atmosphere models.
The atmospheres have $\rho^{-1}$ and $\rho^{-3/2}$ density profiles
respectively.}
\end{figure}

Photons of a blackbody spectrum at temperature 2 keV are injected
at the center into the system. The Comptonized photons in the energy
range $ 10 - 20$ keV  are collected in terms of their escape time,
producing the light curves displayed in the figure.
It is seen that these light curves are power-laws extending to
the order of seconds followed by exponential cutoffs. The indices of the
power-law are roughly 1 and 3/2 respectively, which was explained
in Kazanas et al (1997). This temporal behavior is greatly
different from the light curves from a uniform system, which decay
exponentially from the very beginning of the emissions (Hua \&
Titarchuk, 1996). In addition, for a uniform system of the similar
optical depth and an electron density of the order of $10^{16}$ or
$10^{17} {\rm cm}^{-3}$, the characteristic decay time of the light
curves will be $\sim 1$ millisecond. The implication of the
prolonged power-law light curves resulting from the extended atmosphere models
for the interpretation of the recent X-ray observational data
is discussed elsewhere (Kazanas et al. 1997, Hua et al. 1997).

\section{Summary}

We have shown that analytical method has intrinsic limitations in dealing
with Comptonization problem and Monte Carlo simulation provides a useful
alternative. We have
introduced an efficient Monte Carlo method that can solve the
Comptonization problem in a truly relativistic way. The method was
further expanded to include the capabilities of dealing with
Comptonization in the media where electron density and temperature
vary discontinuously from one region to the other and in the isothermal
media where density varies
continuously along photon paths. In addition to the examples
given above for its application, the method was also used in the
investigation of Compton scattering of gamma-ray photons in the
accretion disks near black hole candidates (Lingenfelter \& Hua,
1991) and in the Earth's atmosphere and the spacecraft material (Hua \&
Lingenfelter, 1993).

The author would like to thank R. E. Lingenfelter and R. Ramaty for
their long-term support and encouragement in the past decade during
which the technique described here was developed. The author also
wants to thank J. C. Ling, L. Titarchuk and D. Kazanas for valuable
discussions and NAS/NRC for support during the period of this
study.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


The 2018 Central Lakes Regional Regatta is Called On for December 29 & 30th at Houghton Lake, Michigan.
Launch Location: DNR site on West side of lake off Old US Highway 27 next to the Lakeside resort.
Please be aware of the following: The ice has not been sailed. It has been walked by two ranked sailors due to no wind at time. It has been rated a 7 and the lake was 7 to 7.5 inches thick, before the current rain event that is going through the area.
On Saturday morning the ice & racing area will be sailed. Please do not leave the pit area until the ice has been checked. I will have a full ice report at the skippers meeting.
1.1 All races will be governed by the Racing Rules of the National Iceboat Authority; the By-Laws of the IDNIYRA, and Official Specifications of the DN Ice Yacht; the Notice of Race, including any amendments to the Notice of Race, and the Sailing Instructions.
1.2 The Sailing Instructions can be modified at the Skippers Meeting and by a notice posted on the official notice board.
1.3 Nine race series per fleet – 3 race minimum in the Gold Fleet will constitute the regatta. Fleets – Gold and Silver, Fleets will be split by rank if needed. One discarded race after the 6th race.
2.1 All DN class yachts meeting the requirements of the Official Specifications and whose skippers meet the requirements of the By-Laws of the IDNIYRA as stated in the section IDNIYRA Regattas are eligible to enter and race in the championship.
2.2 Skipper needs to be a current member of IDNIYRA in good standing.
3.2 Site and Headquarters Information will be determined by the regatta organizer.
6.1 Official Sailing Instructions will be provided at registration.
7.1 Trophies will be award for Gold & Silver fleets.
8.2 A hard copy of the policy must present at the time of registration. No exceptions.
The 2018 Central Region Championship has been tentatively called on for December 29-30, 2018. The regatta site will be best ice in Michigan.
Check your runners & get your stuff ready- the 2018 Central Regional Regatta is tentatively "Called On" for this weekend December 29 & 30th. A Notice of Race with more details will be posted after I get a final ice report.
Check Facebook "Iceboating in Michigan & Ohio" group, plus the IDNIYRA site for additional information.
It's Friday morning and here is your Eastern Region championship report from Great Pond in Belgrade, Maine. The Eastern Region championship is ON! Ice is black, hard, 4.5″-5.5″ thick, 40% Snow covered 1/4″ drifts. There are a few leads on the way out but easily spotted at lower speeds sitting up. Looks like we should have a 3/4 mile circle to play on.
Hotels are in Augusta about 25 minutes south of the launch off 95. There is a group of us staying at the Senator Inn and spa, mention the iceboating group might help with pricing. There is a bar and restaurant in the hotel.


RBH Creative Communications has been named as an official sponsor of homeless charity, KipBag.
RBH Creative Communications has been named as an official sponsor of homeless charity, KipBag, which aims to provide essential items to keep the homeless warm, clean and dignified.
The Birmingham-based charity aims to raise in excess of 3,000 KipBags and distribute them to homeless causes and charities across the UK. Each KipBag contains essential items including sleeping bags, toiletries and warm clothing.
Support provide by RBH includes creative, social, and DOOH advertising in two prime positions within Birmingham, thanks to TPM Media.
A number of KipBags have also been purchased and provided to those on the streets of Birmingham.


Product description Ageless Elixir foundation simultaneously helps to protect against the ageing effects of the sun, keeping skin moisturised and protected to help you look and feel your best. The secret to the foundation's innovation is in the well-blended, 'elixir' formula, which helps to: 1. Deliver instant medium to high coverage – through Ageless Elixir's specially treated pigments that reflect light. 2. Improve skin tone by protecting and hydrating via the moisturising skincare formula. Max Factor, The Make up of Make Up Artists. Max Factor Ageless Elixir Foundation 30ml - Porcelain 30 How to Use • Match the foundation with the skin tone of your jawline to find the right shade for you. • Always apply in good natural light to ensure even coverage. • Put a small amount on the back of your hand, then coat both sides of a foundation brush. • Apply small amounts in the centre of your face and blend outwards where needed.


text:
Web seriesThe A-List Season 2 Ending Explained: What happens with...
The A-List Season 2 Ending Explained: What happens with Mia?
The A-List Season 2 Ending: Everything you should know!
The A List is a British teen thriller streaming television series created by Dan Burlanka and Nina Metivier, released on BBC iPlayer on 25 October 2018.
The central character is Mia (Lisa Ambalavaner), who arrives at a summer camp on an island, who passes out. to keep dark secrets.
Also, Check out The Gift Season 3 Ending Explained!
The A List Season 1 Recap: What happened Earlier?
n The A List, a group of teenagers arrive at Peregrine Island ready for summer fun. There is usually a lot of squabbles, psychological tension, and teenage romance among teenagers.
This is no ordinary island though, and soon strange phenomena and abilities of some of the camp's comrades begin to emerge. One of the characters, Amber, proves to be a constant adversary.
The-A-List-Season-2-Spoilers
And has the ability to control the mind of anyone she touches. She is in constant conflict with Mia, which eventually prompts several other camp members to rise up against Amber.
The A List Season 2 Ending Explained: What happened with mia at the end?
We learn that Mia was right to say that "that girl is going to do drama." While the gang all went to the island to have a good time, they soon learn that Peregrine is more midsummer-y than the one they signed up for.
Then we see that the groups meet on the mainland and are satisfied with the way things have turned out. Even Amber (Ellie Duckles) gets a chance to live like a normal person and her future is not tied to Midge's fate. But is everything really as happy as it seems?
That final blow comes at the very end, when long-dead-ish Midge (Indiana Ryan) crawls up some rocks and back into mortal territory.
It's a disturbing visual that tells us everything we need to know about the potential season of The A-List Season 2 on Netflix. Because Midge isn't the person we were expecting at all.
At one point Mia says that everyone wants her to be real and have a second chance at happiness. The way she says, it makes us wonder if Midge still lives in Mia.
"The amber personality emerged," Maggs tells Mia. "Not just mentally, but physically. Like Jekyll and Hyde with incredible powers."
But the series ends with Mia almost falling off a cliff and the supposedly dead Midge crawling her way over some rocks. Does the fact that they are blood sisters ensure that a part of Midge still lives in Mia?
Also, Check out Sex/Life Season 1 Ending Explained!
The A-List Season 2 Review: A Great thriller with cliffhanger Ending!
While the acting is an improvement and the show manages to delve into its mysteries a little more deeply, The A List still lags behind some of the issues that plagued it at first. That doesn't mean it isn't a pleasant watch.
Despite its shortcomings, The A List doesn't end on a big Netflix cliffhanger which is a big plus. There's a teasing glimpse of a potential third season, but not enough to make your head spin to a hollow conclusion.
For that only, fans of The A List should be satisfied with what is here. The A List may come back with the same lovely group of characters, but it also brings with it the same baggage and problems.
This is something that has only been further underscored by teen dramas since 2018. There are some amazing offerings in this genre and The A List falls short by comparison.
The A List Season 1 Recap
The A List Season 2 Ending Explained
The A List Season 2 plot
The A List Season 2 Review
The A List Season 2 Spoilers
The A List Season 2 story
The A List season 2 trailer
Previous articleThe First Purge Ending Explained: Who survives in the End?
Next article'The Misfits' Ending Explained: Do they complete the mission?
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Netflix's Into The Badlands Season 4 | Is Season 4 Canceled...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Ice Cream Shop Cleaning for Summertime Business - Kaivac Cleaning Systems eliminates this problem. You simply spread a cleaning solution onto the tabletops, then use the squeegee to remove dissolved sugar, soil, bacteria, and other foreign objects. The result is a table that's clean, dry, and free of germs and sticky sugar.
If you've got an outdoor eating area, then you've got the capacity to serve more customers; however, this presents you with a unique cleaning problem. Insects will have a field day on your furniture unless you clean it very frequently. While a squeegee and microfiber towel are ideal for wiping down tables, chair seats, and picnic table benches in between customers, the busiest ice cream days should rely on a Spray-and-Vac system. Just apply the environmentally safe cleaning solution, which will let you rinse off your tables and chairs without worry, then use the high-pressure sprayer to remove even the most dried-on ice cream drips. The wet/dry vacuum will let you vacuum up any water that pools in hard-to-reach places after you have blasted your outdoor seating area clean. One short treatment at the end of the day will leave all your outdoor furniture clean and ready for the next day's customers.
For more tips on ice cream shop cleaning and other commercial kitchen cleaning, click here.
The sun is shining and the air is warm—it's summertime, and for many people that means ice cream. Your ice cream shop's business will skyrocket this time of the year, but this increase in customer traffic leads to a lot more dirt and mess to clean up. Whether you've got a stand at the beach or a store in the middle of the suburbs, warm weather brings its own challenges when it comes to ice cream shop cleaning.
More business means more mess, all day long. You might be able to get away with sweeping and mopping once a day during the winter months, but all those extra customers will require more frequent cleaning on your schedule in the summer. Depending on your environment, you may have to do the floors every two to three hours, just to combat sand and grass that's constantly being tracked in on flip-flops and sandals. Plus, lots of little customers mean more sticky messes on tables and chairs, so add frequent and regular wiping into the maintenance mix.
Most of the mess on your tables will be melted ice cream, which has a high concentration of sugar. If you're using traditional rags or sponges and buckets, then you're simply dissolving the sugar and rinsing it off into the bucket. Once the sponge is dipped back into the water, it picks up some sugar water and spreads a thin layer of it all over the table. Ever wonder why the flies love your tables so much? There's more than likely a microscopic layer of sugar painting the tabletop. Combining a microfiber pad and squeegee into one simple cleaning system eliminates this problem. You simply spread a cleaning solution onto the tabletops, then use the squeegee to remove dissolved sugar, soil, bacteria, and other foreign objects. The result is a table that's clean, dry, and free of germs and sticky sugar.


text:
Q: The meaning of "blow me down"? This question had a sequel to the question just below.
The meaning of 'blow me down'
Thanks to WS2's reply and link I draw my conclusion for the phrase 'blow me down.'
But to my surprise I think I have reached a different answer than you.
Here are examples that you presented in your link.

*

*I'm absolutely blowed if I know what to do.

  I think this sentence means that I would be shocked if I know what to
  do. That is, I think I have no chance of knowing what to do.

*Blow me tight if ever I saw such a thing in my life before.

  I would be shocked if I saw such a thing in my life before. There's no
  chance of my seeing such a thing in my life before. That is, that's my
  first time that I saw such a thing in my life.

*Blow me if I do!

  I would be shocked if I do.  That is, there's no chance that I do
  (it).

Am I right in my description of the three sentences above?
And on the sentence in question, I draw my comprehension based on your explanation.

*"Blow me down if she didn't just run off!"

  I would be shocked if she didn't just run off! There's no chance that
  she didn't just run off. That is, she must have just run off. If not,
  I would be shocked.

The last line is my conclusion that I drew on your explanation.
Here is your sentences.
"When she just ran off, you could have knocked me over with a feather!"
"She's run off ? - well blow me down!"
These two sentences implies that I am shocked because she runs off.
That means the speaker didn't expect she would run off.
If that is your thought, that's just the opposite of mine.

A: The full expression is 'blow me down with a feather!' It means, that you were so surprised or shocked, that someone could knock you over, knock you off your feet, merely by wafting a flimsy, light-weight feather at you!
https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/blow+me+down.html
What this means, is that you were so surprised, or shocked, that you were so close to falling down on your own, already, that all it would need, would be a tiny feather-waft, to send you crashing!
It is thus, an expression of surprise, similar to saying 'I can't believe it!' Or 'would you believe it!' Or, in Cockney rhyming slang 'would you Adam and Eve it?'
The expression can be shortened to 'well I'm blowed!' Again an expression of surprise. Meaning 'I'm knocked down by surprise.'
The expression 'well I'm blowed if I am going to pay for his taxi' means that 'I'd be so surprised, if I paid for his taxi, that I'd fall down.' Meaning - I'm not going to do that!
The likelihood of me being knocked down by a feather, is as likely as my paying for his taxi - ie is zero!
So we are stating something unlikely (being knocked down by a feather) and using that as a comparison to the likelihood of something else happening, or being about to happen (or not).
Expressions of surprise similar to this one are legion in English, on TV shows and more, and just get sillier - such as 'is the Pope Catholic?' (Or, is that one a lack of surprise?) and some are very funny, you might enjoy: https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/amazing-expression-of-amazement.769236/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
LA Clippers Foundation Provides Girls with Free Prom Dresses
Julissa Ventureno
Julissa Ventureno, Editor-in-Chief
The LA Clippers Foundation treated underprivileged young women to a free prom dress, hair and makeup application, a pair of heels, an evening bag and matching accessories on April 7 at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel near LAX. The nonprofit organization supports surrounding communities in civic, educational and humanitarian aspects.
This year they helped about 300 students, double the number from last year. Some students from Venice High applied for the free prom dress and accessories.
"The makeup artist I was talking to was really nice," said senior Lorena Alvarado, who appreciated the organization's giveaway. ¨She was guiding me and giving tips. My dress is different than what I would've picked by myself and it was really good quality."
Attendees were fascinated by the female empowerment demonstrated by the music played by the young girl DJs from the nonprofit "Girls Make Beats" and inspiring speeches by prominent role models such as Grace Rose, a 16-year-old designer and founder who raises awareness for cystic fibrosis.
Not only did the L.A. Clippers Foundation provide essentials for prom, but they also provided breakfast and a raffle where a handful of girls won prizes such as speakers, gift cards and even a 24-hour limo service.
"I was glad that everyone had the opportunity to get a dress for prom," said senior Destiny Clark. "The fashion show was a fun addition to it. I liked all the dresses on the runway. I'm really happy with the dress I got because now I don't have to go to Downtown L.A. for an expensive one."
A McJourney to get a McRib
Perfect DIY Quarantine Christmas Gifts
Balancing Beats and Books: Inside the Life of Rising Producer Aztro
A Journey to a LAUSD COVID-19 Testing Site
What's it Like to Work on the Front Lines and Learn from a Distance
Venice High Students and Teachers Reflect on 2020 with Their Spotify Wrapped
Coping with Quarantine
New Success Group to Help Stressed Scholars
Venice Alumni Use Social Media to Push Social Justice Message


text:
Flags and Stramashs in Scotland's Summer of Independence
August 25th, 2016 | Author: Gerry
Scottish Review, August 24th 2016
A couple of weeks ago I was involved in one of the many online conversations about politics that now characterise Scotland. Afterwards the animated chat in the pub turned to the previous day's pro-independence march in Glasgow.
Saltires had been there in plenty – and one person, perhaps more fully signed up to independence than the others, asked 'Why is Scotland the only place in the world where people are told off for flying their flag?' This was met by myself and others with incredulity, as we pointed out that all over the world flags are problematic, and not one national flag is completely uncontested.
This amiable conversation concluded with two of us saying in near-unison words to the effect: 'We don't want to waste time on these sorts of discussions. If we were to waste time on this sort of thing, rather than substance, we would consider voting No next time.'
Such is the story of two very different Scotlands who rubbed along in the 45% alliance in the indyref, but have very little in common. Our chat also covered the importance of Bannockburn and why 1314 is still relevant, the BBC and the transformation of the SNP from wee to huge.
Scotland isn't a nation of armed camps – Yes and No, indy and non-indy. But these are the two loudest tribes and seem to be digging in for the long term. Some of this is a phoney war, filling a vacuum post-Brexit, as after the thrills and spills of 2014-2016, comes – if not the calm – but the lull, before the storm. And with this changing gear, comes frustration and diversions.
It has been in this context a summer of mini-dramas, and I don't mean at the Edinburgh Festival. Alex Salmond railed against the BBC for daring to report that RBS Head Ross McEwan had said the bank would be 'too big for the economy' in the event of independence and may have to register elsewhere. He made clear this wouldn't have any consequences for the 12,000 jobs here.
Salmond laid into the BBC, never once questioning the word of RBS, who he once many moons ago worked for. He brought the debate onto the key issue: the difference between a 'brass plaque' being removed from a building, and where your headquarters was. Not one mention about corporate power, ownership, where and how decisions are made, the role of finance capital, and the bust British economic model – for which Scotland hasn't yet developed any convincing alternative.
Then there was the Scottish Six-David Torrance saga. Torrance has been a target for cybernats for years, piqued that throughout the indyref he insisted he was 'neutral' and 'impartial' when everyone suspected he voted No. And as he had previously worked for the current Tory Secretary of State David Mundell when he was in opposition- once a Tory, always a Tory, so the logic goes.
Previous form in recent mini-stramashs included 'Ulsterisation' (originally coined by Aidan Kerr) and 'Donald Trump resembled Alex Salmond on steroids' (a great line, but terrible as analysis). Two weeks ago, in a BBC item on the Scottish Six, Torrance made the obvious point that making integrated news was very different on radio and television, and much more demanding in the latter because with radio 'You're not dealing with pictures, you're not dealing with camera equipment.' This became translated in Nationalist mythology into 'Scottish cameramen can't use cameras.'
This is all a storm in a teacup, with Torrance then leaving twitter due to abusive comments – something Stephen Fry does seemingly on a regular basis, and Neil Oliver did last week, again citing Nat abuse (this time after making quite a bit of abusive comment himself – viz a second indyref was a 'cancerous presence' and describing Salmond as 'a big, round wrecking ball of a man.')
None of this seems that big a controversy, but it appears that Torrance is a weathervane figure, for why do so many Nationalists make him such a figure of importance, and spend time denigrating him? This descends to the level where it is permissible to say anything about someone including their choice of clothes, physical appearance and wider life. In a Facebook thread I started, Joyce Macmillan declared that Torrance's behaviour 'epitomises the cringe – Scotland bad, UK good' and 'the most patronising type of Unionist', while Iain Macwhirter said that he dealt with abuse by 'twitter hygiene' and taking the following actions – 'Block, Mute, Unfollow and disable 'all notifications''. When asked if he ever challenged cybernat abuse, he remained silent.
This week's mini-drama was that of Stephen Daisley, STV Digital Politics and Comments Editor, being taken off STV platforms from making commentary. Daisley has written many well-crafted, thoughtful pieces, but on twitter he assumed the character of an anti-Nationalist provocateur, jabbing away at their sensitivities and soft spots, and getting results. All of this he did from his STV twitter account.
It always seemed obvious this wouldn't end well, and his twitter persona detracted from his reflective analysis. All of this might not have amounted to much had it not emerged that SNP MPs Pete Wishart and John Nicolson had recently, while talking with STV executives, raised the subject of Daisley and their dislike of some of his commentary. None of this is disputed, and just after this Daisley's commentary disappeared.
This has brought forth claim and counter-claim. About what Wishaw and Nicolson said to STV, if the company crumbled under political pressure, and whether this amounts to, if not quite political censorship, manipulation and pressure. None of the above actions, and even more, the resulting debate, augur well for the state of pluralism.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the media universe, a real collusion of power has been happening, in which cybernat warriors seem completely uninterested. Ex-BBC Scotland Head of News and Current Affairs John Boothman, fired from the BBC last year after a string of allegations about bullying and intimidation, has now become Political Correspondent of 'Sunday Times Scotland'. That's bad enough, but what makes it even more questionable is that while working as a journalist, he is also a lobbyist for Charlotte Street Partners, the lobbying firm of former SNP MSP Andrew Wilson and former SNP strategist Kevin Pringle.
Relevant too is that Pringle writes a regular column for the 'Sunday Times', as does Wilson occasionally – and for 'The Times'. Not once is there ever a disclaimer saying company x is a client of Charlotte Street. This worries lots of people in the media, but doesn't cause any ire in cybernat land.
A bigger picture is emerging, not just from the above, but over a longer timeframe. Part of nationalism isn't reacting well to criticism of even the mildest kind. There is a pattern of closed minded Nationalists – led by the likes of Wings over Scotland, G.A. Ponsonby and ex-BBCer Derek Bateman – who seem to see themselves as not only looking for unionist conspiracy everywhere ('the BBC 'stole' the referendum'), but as defenders of the cause, balancing the powerful biases of the mainstream media. But that isn't good politics, creating propaganda to challenge propaganda, and making a political bunker, from which the world, not surprisingly, looks deceptively simple.
Such perspectives aren't interested in putting any criticisms towards the Nationalists. One question for them to consider is: what would the SNP have to do for you to spend your time holding them to account? Pre-independence, or short of them reneging on independence. Or are all criticisms held off until after the glorious day? Which would mean wasting a lot of political capital either ignoring, or worse, defending the indefensible such as bitter government cuts.
Frankly, the above mindset – whether it is going after opponents personally, or fighting a war of double standards where the SNP are given a free pass and everything else is up for forensic partisan comment – isn't attractive or healthy politics. It doesn't aid Scottish debate, the SNP, or the cause of independence. Thankfully, a range of pro-independence voices such as Common Space, Bella Caledonia and Lallands Peat Worrier are prepared to say this.
We are at a crossroads in the political arc of the country. All political parties when they reach their peak popularity begin to lose their touch and political sensitivities. Scotland has just come out of its long experience of 'Labour Scotland' running from 1959-2007: that's over 45 years of dominant party rule. In at least the last twenty years of this, Labour became increasingly immune to criticism, spurned advice, and thought it could rule forever.
This attitude even continued in places after 2007: in quangoland, public sector and voluntary sector Scotland. Labour didn't lose its hold completely until the disaster of 2011. There was almost a Sandinista attitude in Labour: of a generation of politicians having grown up with the automatic expectation of power, believing they had a right to rule, and that post-2007, normal service would shortly be resumed.
Now that era is over and the Nationalist Scotland story is in the ascendant. However, the same laws of political physics apply: what comes up must come down, and nothing lasts forever. Yet, there is already a similar Sandinista feel about the class of SNP politicians who have weathered and come through triumphant the storms from being small and in opposition to today's dominance.
These are the early days of Nationalist Scotland, historically speaking. They have a long way to fall to get into the squalid state of the last days of Labour and its cronyism, corruption and incestuousness. But the signs are beginning to look less than healthy in places. Whereas, once on the way up, the SNP were friendly, open, wanting to make friends and converts, now they are beginning to adopt the mantle of a new class, and some of the same characteristics which didn't serve Labour well – and eventually led to its fall.
The SNP and its supporters have to recognise the limits of Nationalist Scotland – and that they need to reach out beyond their own tribe and most passionate supporters. Otherwise independence will always remain a tantilising close, but far off, dream. And one which many of us will find less than attractive, unless the politics of pluralism, tolerance and talking about substance, can be practiced in the here and now. Stramashs have their place in any politics, but so does talking about real stuff that affects peoples' lives. For some of us it really, really, isn't at all about flags.


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A new way of investing | info@ostrica.com
TECHVESTING
A NEW WAY OF INVESTING
Ostrica International
Ostrica started managing assets in 1998 as United Asset Management start-up in The Netherlands. In the early years we worked closely within the UAM group of companies with Acadian Asset management and were advised by Harry Markowitz (Nobel Prize Laureate, 1990). Ostrica developed itself as a full range of investment solutions provider operating in the Benelux and expanding into Switzerland. The company is owned by its founders and senior employees.
Ostrica integrates state of the art quantitative techniques and human input into investment strategies.
The word Ostrica, meaning Oyster, describes the strength of the Investment concept that already has given shelter to Ostrica investors for more than 25 years. At Ostrica, we use global financial data of all liquid stocks and bonds into investment strategies that deliver superior risk-return profiles.
Ostrica investment philosophy is built around the premise that the right combination of 'man' & 'machine' help navigate investors through the stormy winds of financial markets. "Computers are incredibly fast, accurate & stupid. Man is unbelievably slow, inaccurate and brilliant. The combination of the two creates opportunities beyond imagination."- Einstein-
Ostrica regards a structured and innovative investment process as the most important condition in asset management and investment solutions.
Only a clear, well-organised and disciplined process leads to consistent, optimised returns. In the complex financial markets of today, only the investors, who are able to filter the relevant information from available data and transform it into investment policy, can successfully refine their portfolios to new trends and developments.
OSTRICA FUNDS
Equities Developed Markets
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Global Total Return High Grade Bond
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The objective of the Sub-Fund is to invest in listed shares of smaller smaller companies (mainly market capitalization at initial investment between USD 200 million and USD 8 billion), known as Small Caps, primarily those listed in the United States. The investments for this asset class are divided between individual shares and several instruments. Distribution is done on the basis of behavioral psychological factors, valuation, ongoing balance variables and expectations.
The Sub-Fund has an absolute return objective, whereby alpha is pursued with market beta in rising markets and market beta is limited as much as possible in falling markets by creating cash positions and buying government bonds, and/or by taking positions in financial derivatives. The investment spectrum consists of listed equities, which meet a number of selection criteria, including the degree of debt financing, revenue growth, profit and innovation.
Global Small Caps Equity Return
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Diversification across developed equity markets
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The objective of the Sub-Fund invests in high-yield financial instruments. The Sub-Fund invests primarily in non-investment grade bonds, but may also invest in convertible bonds. This distribution is applied to various risk factors, such as industry, credit quality, maturity and country. The Sub-Fund does not commonly invest in asset class shares, except to the extent an equity exposure is created through investment in convertible bonds or in investment schemes which also invest in shares.
The fund has an absolute return objective, in which the Euro / Dollar will be actively managed, in addition to an active bond selection policy. Extreme downward market conditions will also be hedged with interest rate instruments.
Global High Yield Bond Return
Enhanced returns with company selection
Enhanced returns with USD strategy
The objective of the Sub-Fund invests in high-yield financial instruments. The Sub-Fund invests primarily in bonds from emerging countries, in which currency risk is avoided as much as possible. This distribution is applied to various risk factors, such as industry, credit quality, maturity and country. The Sub-Fund does not commonly invest in asset class shares, except to the extent an equity exposure is created through investment in collective investment schemes which also invest in shares.
The fund has an absolute return objective, in which the Euro / Dollar will be actively managed, in addition to an active bond selection policy. Extreme downward market conditions will also be hedged with interest rate instruments. The emerging markets investment spectrum is characterised by countries with a higher return risk profile than developed countries. Examples are higher political, economic and currency risks. Starting point, though not exhaustive, in the investment policy of Ostrica is allocation to countries in the JP Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index.
Global Emerging Market Debt Return
Enhanced returns with country selection
Global Total Return High Grade Bond Fund
The objective of the Sub fund is to invest in financial instruments, but without the specific risks of the investment in shares. The Sub fund invests predominantly in Developed Markets Bonds, Investment Grade Bonds, and Inflation Linked Bonds. The Sub fund may invest up to 100% of its net asset value in securities issued a Member State. The maturities of the instruments can very over time. In times of increasing interest, the Fund Manager aims to invest in bonds with short maturities, because in general it can be said that, in this case, bonds with shorter maturities are less sensitive to interest rate fluctuations. For the abovementioned reason, in times of falling interest rates the Fund Manager aims to invest in bonds with longer maturities. Derivatives can be used to shorten durations. The Sub fund is particularly suitable for investors with an investment horizon of 3 to 5 years who wish to obtain a greater return than simply by saving, while keeping the risks limited. The Sub fund has an absolute return objective, in which, besides an active duration policy, return/risk ratio between different bonds will be actively managed. Foreign currency pairs will be active managed. The share of profits of the Sub fund that, due to fiscal reasons, need to be distributed to participants will be distributed within eight months after the year-ending.
Dynamic Duration Policy
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The objective of the Sub-fund invests in a globally diversified portfolio of equities from emerging countries. The investments for this asset class are spread across several individual securities and similar instruments. This distribution is applied on the basis of valuation, fundamental balance sheet variables, expectations and behavioural psychological factors. In addition to the distribution, the sector and the region are of interest.
The fund has an absolute return objective, aiming for alpha with market beta in rising markets and market beta is limited as much as possible in descending markets trough hedging. The emerging markets investment spectrum is characterised by countries with a higher return risk profile than developed countries. Examples are higher political, economic and currency risks. The starting point, without being exhaustive, in the investment policy of Ostrica is allocation to countries in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index with regard to equities.
Global Emerging Markets Equity Return
Diversification across emerging equity markets
The objective of the Sub-fund invests in a globally diversified portfolio of equities from developed countries. The investments for this asset class are spread across several individual securities and similar instruments. This distribution is applied on the basis of valuation, fundamental balance sheet variables, expectations and behavioural psychological factors.
In addition to the distribution, the sector and the region are of interest. The fund has an absolute return objective, aiming for alpha with market beta in rising markets and market beta is limited as much as possible in descending markets through hedging.
Global Equity Return
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West End performer Nadim Naaman's debut songwriter album We All Want The Same features 11 songs written by Nadim over the last ten years, spanning pop, jazz, R'n'B, and musical theatre. The album features a duet with Siubhan Harrison (Guya & Dolls, From Here To Eternity, Les Miserable, Grease, We Will Rock You), as well as a song co-written and performed with Will Barratt (Jersey Boys, Sweeney Todd, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables).
West End performer Nadim Naaman's debut songwriter album We All Want The Same features 11 songs written by Nadim over the last ten years, spanning pop, jazz, R'n'B, and musical theatre. The album features a duet with Siubhan Harrison (Guys & Dolls, From Here To Eternity, Les Miserable, Grease, We Will Rock You), as well as a song co-written and performed with Will Barratt (Jersey Boys, Sweeney Todd, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables).
"A singer of extraordinary versatility… he is equally at home whether performing musical theatre, jazz standards, hard rock or pop ballads – his powerful and authoritative stage presence ensures that he delivers every time" – MusicalTheatreReview.
Nadim is most well-known for playing Raoul in The Phantom Of The Opera (Her Majesty's) in the 30th Anniversary cast. He made his West End debut as Rolf in The Sound of Music (London Palladium), and has since played roles including Bertie Wooster in By Jeeves directed by Sir Alan Ayckbourn (Old Laundry), Charles Clarke in Titanic (Princess of Wales, Toronto), Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd (Harrington's Pie & Mash Shop), Anatoly in Chess (Union), Armand in Marguerite (Tabard), Andrei in Thirteen Days (Arcola), Charles Clarke in Titanic (Southwark Playhouse), cover Alfie in One Man, Two Guvnors (NT at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket). Nadim performed in the cast of The Phantom Of The Opera 25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall, and has sung backing vocals for Elton John, Rod Stewart, Britain's Got Talent, and on the Madagascar 3 film soundtrack.
© Nadim Naaman 2013 ℗ Auburn Jam Records 2013.
*Please note for international orders outside the EU: Delivery will take up to 5 days.


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CHINA SERVICES
Jeff Chung - Managing Director
Jeff Chung is the founder and Managing Director of Vista Advisory Group. He has over 10 years of investment banking and related experience with extensive experience on both the buy and sell-side of a transaction. His motivation for starting his own advisory firm was to better service the client by offering customized and flexible solutions that are not traditionally available with an investment banking institution.
He is an active member of industry associations, publishes numerous editorials and research reports, and has built a large network of both strategic and financial buyers in several industries.
Prior to joining Vista Advisory Group, Mr. Chung was the Vice President and head of the Transportation and Logistics Group at USBX Advisory Services. His practice included the sale of privately held logistics businesses, consulting for public companies and performed buy-side advisory services for European based multinationals. During his previous employment from a merchant banking firm specializing in industry consolidation opportunities, Mr. Chung analyzed and initiated several acquisitions for a leveraged build-up of fabricated metal component manufacturers. He worked closely with Fortune 500 executives to developed consolidation strategies in a wide range of industries including third party logistics, precision machining, specialty chemicals, telecommunications, building products, staffing services, and energy services.
Mr. Chung owned and sold a clothing retailer and export company. Previously, he was a financial consultant with Smith Barney.
Mr. Chung received his B.A. from the California State University, Fullerton and his M.B.A. from the Marshall School of Business at University of Southern California.
jchung@vistaadvisory.com
Justin Barrow - Director
Justin Barrow joins Vista Advisory with over ten years of logistics experience in China. Mr. Barrow's tenure and experience in China gives Vista's clients access to one of the fastest growing markets. His extensive knowledge of the local Asian market and culture enables Vista Advisory to help clients navigate through regulatory, political and local issues that arise in dealing in a foreign country.
Prior to joining Vista Advisory, Mr. Barrow served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Datian W. Group, where he created a sales and marketing organization in China. His efforts led to the sale of Datian to Federal Express in 2005. During his time with Datian, he established strong customer relationships in China with IBM, Dell, Nokia, Cisco, Siemens, Arrow, GE, Huawei and Motorola. He also worked closely with industry partners in China including Airborne (DHL), FedEx and numerous overseas agents and airlines.
Mr. Barrow received an M.B.A. from Rutgers University.
jbarrow@vistaadvisory.com
Xun Wei - Director
Xun Wei joins Vista Advisory with years of logistics operating experience in China. Mr. Wei's expertise furthers Vista's efforts to give foreign investors intimate access to the China market. His operational experience and relationships in China allow Vista to offer unique services including developing a China strategy, warehouse real estate consulting, local recruiting, local training and establishing an agent network.
Prior to joining Vista Advisory, Mr. Wei was the Director of Logistics for Li Ning (largest sportswear distributor in China). While at Li Ning, he developed a nationwide distribution network and international logistics strategy.
Mr. Wei is very active in the logistics industry. He is an instructor in Transportation Management at the prestigious Tsinghua University, Beijing University of Communications and Beijing University of Technology. His other industry roles include organizer and leader of the Logistics Salon (a gathering of logistics professionals in China for benchmarking and industry standards), Editor for Global Supply Chain Magazine, and director of the China Logistics Technology Association.
Mr. Wei has a Master of Arts degree in Logistics Management from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
xwei@vistaadvisory.com
Samira Jannati - Vice President
Samira Jannati is the Vice President of Administration and oversees business development, sales and marketing, and finance for Vista Advisory. Ms. Jannati has extensive experience in channel marketing, customer acquisition and finance.
Prior to joining Vista, she held senior marketing positions at Verizon Wireless and Sage Software.
Ms. Jannati received her B.S. from the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce and her M.B.A. from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.
sjannati@vistaadvisory.com
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Don Pasquale is a beautiful restaurant in the centre of town owned by a huge family of Italians. One of whom is an old friend from college. Before I even knew that her family owned the restaurant I always looked forward to going to eat at Don Pasquale as it has great food, tasty drinks and lovely waiters! As it had been my mothers birthday recently, I decided to take her to Don Pasquale on a beautiful autumnal evening and eat and drink the evening away. I had a small glass of Borsari Merlot Rose Delle Venezie from Italy, with a little mediterranean pizza with Tomato, mozzarella, spinach, cherry tomatoes, red onions, black olives & goat's cheese. It was such a delightful evening and it really makes you appreciate how lucky we are to have authentic restaurants and dining experiences like this! Get down to Don Pasquale in Cambridge if you get the chance.


As expected we saw a correction to 14k levels....The best way is to avoid taking index positions till we see a secular move on either side... The bounce to upper levels on basis of global cues will be subdued at higher levels reached sometime back ..
The best approach is to look for very selective stock buying and selective stock selling and less of index ...Autos as said have taken a big hit in the last 4-8 weeks and a very good one in the last few days ...We had been maintaining exit on every rise and shift to other growth areas ...Hope everyone utised the view as we were overtly bullish on sensex for so many weeeks which saw huge moves still i like the sector on declines long term is good only..


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Sims Metal Management (OTCMKTS:SMSMY) Reaches New 1-Year Low at $5.00
Sims Metal Management Ltd (OTCMKTS:SMSMY) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $5.00 and last traded at $5.27, with a volume of 28701 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.01.
Several research firms have issued reports on SMSMY. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Sims Metal Management in a report on Thursday, December 5th. They issued an "underperform" rating on the stock. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Sims Metal Management from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $8.25 price target on the stock in a report on Saturday, February 22nd. Finally, ValuEngine raised shares of Sims Metal Management from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th.
The company's 50 day moving average price is $6.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $7.21.
About Sims Metal Management (OTCMKTS:SMSMY)
Sims Metal Management Limited engages in buying, processing, and selling ferrous and non-ferrous recycled metals. The company operates through five segments: North America Metals, Investment in SA Recycling, Australia/New Zealand, Metals, Europe Metals, and Global E-Recycling. It is involved in the collection, processing, and trading of iron and steel secondary raw materials; and other metal alloys and residues, principally aluminum, lead, copper, zinc, and nickel bearing materials.
CES Energy Solutions (OTCMKTS:CESDF) Rating Lowered to Hold at Canaccord Genuity
TSX Fails To Hold Gains, Ends Flat
FedEx (FDX) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: What You Should Know
SUPERDRY PLC/ADR (OTCMKTS:SEPGY) Trading Down 13.6%
LEGGETT & PLATT, INCORPORATED (LEG) – THE STOCK THAT LOST -1.78% THIS WEEK!


TrialNet: Should we do it?
Mike and I are here at the CWD FFL conference with our sons, and TrialNet is here, too.. TrialNet screens relatives of people with type 1 diabetes for their risk of developing type 1. As you'd probably expect, Mike and I worry about our sons' risk for type 1 and getting them screened is something we've discussed, and that I've written about, in the past.
My general feeling has been that I don't want to know. I want to live as if diabetes is not going to happen, and if it does then I'll deal with it. Mike, until now, seemed to feel the same way. But today, with TrialNet right there in the next room, Mike felt differently. "We should test them," he said.
I gave him a WTF look.
Maybe we should. But I'm not ready to go there. My sons, thankfully, are having a great time. I don't want them to think that we brought them here to find out if they're going to get diabetes.
On the flip side, CWD FFL is probably the only place in the world where having diabetes doesn't seem like a bad thing. So maybe after being here diabetes will seem less scary to my sons. I love seeing how happy the kids are here, but it doesn't make diabetes, or the risk of it, any less scary to me.
Thanks for these comments. Colleen, what you described is what I fear. And I think you're right. If we do decide to test we should have a plan in place.


How can I reach the JW Marriott Hotel Macau?Do I need a visa to travel to Macau?
Once you have completed your registration for SPORTELAsia 2019, you can reserve a hotel room.
• Click on "MyHotel" in the top menu bar.
• You will be re-directed to the Hotel reservations system.
Contact the accommodation team at: accommodation@monacomediax.com.


Shared parental leave should be about giving families the choice about how they look after their child in the early days. It should not be about imposing a requirement on fathers to take time off. Yet it is only right to reflect demand from families for fathers to be involved. Studies show that in the US 20% of fathers are now the main carers for the under 5s, in the UK it is around 14%. Germany has no requirement for fathers to take an element of shared parental leave but between 2006 and 2008, the numbers taking it have quadrupled.
In Britain since April 2011, the mother can transfer up to 6 months of her maternity entitlement to the father at the same rate of pay and following a consultation it is expected that there will be proposals for a more flexible system of parental leave available to both parents. Under the current system a mother receives 90 per cent of her pay for the first six weeks, before receiving a standard rate of £129 for the remaining 33 weeks — paid by employers who claim it back from the Government. Unable to afford time off the poorest go back to work quickest: 40 per cent with earnings under £10,000 return to work within 25 weeks compared with 16 per cent with earnings above £40,000.
A flat rate paid directly from Government to parents would provide a fairer and more business friendly system of parental leave. The current £2 billion maternity pay budget would equal around £5,000 per eligible working family and could be paid in installments over 6 or 9 months. [This direct payment already takes place in a number of countries such as Germany and Australia and in a Government study conducted in 2005 was found to be popular with small companies.] This would save employers from administration. With leave separated from the funding of parental time off, employers and employees would be free to come to their own agreements over the amount of time they take off and plan ahead. Employers gain with employees able to do some flexi-work while on maternity/paternity leave, which isn't possible at the moment, while for the mothers and fathers it means an opportunity to top up their maternity/paternity pay by doing a few hours work. This has worked elsewhere with Germany enabling parents to work up to 30 hours a week while on parental leave (even moonlighting for another company). Employers could continue to offer additional benefits to attract and keep top retain staff.
It is important to note that the total amount of time out of the workplace that employers have to cover would not increase, nor would the amount of Government funding. This is about giving the family the choice about who takes that leave and how they take it, benefiting parents and employers alike.


To renew a professional license, please visit the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency website. You may verify a professional license without subscribing to In.gov where you will find the following information.
Current licensure status, such as, active, expired, probation, suspension, revoked etc.


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49ers Video
Offseason randomness
Anquan Boldin giving out college scholarships [Video]
Anquan Boldin continues to do good off the field, as he continues to excel on the field.
By David Fucillo@davidfucillo May 31, 2014, 4:30pm PDT
Share All sharing options for: Anquan Boldin giving out college scholarships [Video]
The San Francisco 49ers have had a bit of a bumpy offseason, and naturally media has focused in on some of the missteps. However, the 49ers have a lot of good guys on the team that deserve recognition for all the good that they do.
One such player is wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Over the course of his career, Boldin has done a ton of great work through his Q81 Foundation, as well as separate from that. Last offseason, Boldin spent time in Africa, and also lobbying in Congress for African communities. He works with OxFam to try and end poverty, hunger and injustice around the world. He initially has focused on issues of drought in Ethiopia.
In the US, Boldin has his Q81 Foundation, which helps provide "educational and life opportunities" to underprivileged kids. The Foundation raises money for scholarships, a summer enrichment program, a dental program, youth football camps, and an assortment of seasonal services. The video above features Boldin presenting scholarships of $10,000 to a recent high school graduate. As I understand it, the money can be used for food, room and books, but not tuition.
Through his first year with the 49ers, Anquan Boldin has been just about the perfect kind of player/person. He does so many great things off the field, and he still brings it week in and week out on the field. We saw this last year just how important he can be. Without Michael Crabtree, Boldin showed he can be a go-to guy, even if he's not the deep threat, do everything receiver. He gets open, he makes plays, it's as simple as that. And he brings a confidence and swagger to the team. A lot of players play with confidence and have swagger, but there's a little something extra with Q.
If he was a smaller, less accomplished player who talked the way he does after plays, I think people might talk smack about him, particularly among opposing fans. But people respect him, and realize he backs it up every play. More importantly, he instills a certain fear because of his ferociousness. I think it dates back to when he busted up his jaw and nose, and was back playing after missing two games. He's kind of tough, and that's what we love about him!